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[Jungian Cognitive Functions] Self-awareness' benefits and cognition

Moiety

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Every now and then I'll go over the topic of self-awareness' use in my head and confront the nobility of the pursuit of self-improvement with the truth in the phrase "Ignorance is bliss".

I look at the more simple-minded and superficial people going about their lives, and notice I don't seem to be necessarily more happy, just because I like to think about stuff like psychology, philosophy or any other so-called deeper topic.

Why is self-awareness beneficial? And to whom is it beneficial?

And if it's meant to enable us to change via behavior, what is there to be said about our natural cognitive inclinations, despite our changed ways? If you have an urge, but you do not act on it, your urge is still there, so what point is there in acknowledging such an urge instead of blindly following it?

Thoughts? :)
 

Poki

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I think our tertiary function unlocks our ability to become happy. It is what we question about ourselves and we go through life trying to feel complete by trying to make this function competant. For me it is Ni, it is a need to understand. Since its followed by Fe it is a need to understand people. What I am good at though is logically figuring things out, so what I end up doing is using logic and understanding to do things like fixing things, doing things physical for them that are more logic based. But it doesnt help me understand people at all so it doesnt really help Fe because Ni is all logic not feeling based. so I still dont understand feelings, but it like a quick Fe fix because for a moment they are happy.

Thats my 2 cents and was fleshed out as I type.
 

Clonester

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I try and strike a balance between trying to improve myself and figuring out what I need to improve, with realizing that overall I'm doing quite well and sometimes there isn't realistically room to improve in some areas. It's a hard balance to find. But I need self-awareness time just to keep myself in check. Perhaps the occasional day off or something.
 

Mondo

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I think it is fundamentally important to understand the world and in order to do that, it is important to understand oneself and one's strengths/weaknesses to gaining an understanding to how the world works, that's where self-awareness' importance comes in for me.
 

Strawberrylover

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I think our tertiary function unlocks our ability to become happy. It is what we question about ourselves and we go through life trying to feel complete by trying to make this function competant. For me it is Ni, it is a need to understand. Since its followed by Fe it is a need to understand people. What I am good at though is logically figuring things out, so what I end up doing is using logic and understanding to do things like fixing things, doing things physical for them that are more logic based. But it doesnt help me understand people at all so it doesnt really help Fe because Ni is all logic not feeling based. so I still dont understand feelings, but it like a quick Fe fix because for a moment they are happy.

That's an interesting idea that our tertiary function is the key to our happiness.

As for our inferior function tho, I've gotten the sense before that we're actually more aware of it than our tertiary functions, and it's easier to work on them independently of other functions. So I disagree with the idea that unlocking your tertiary function leads to your inferior function. But then again, maybe that's just me speaking as an ENFP. I've been trying to develop my Si more by being more aware and observant of my body and my surroundings. I've also noticed that Si and Fi can go together. When I'm reflecting, I can still do housework. Si helps my Fi, and Te helps ground my Ne.

Don't know if that could work for you tho, since I can't think of how you can work on Fe independently from other functions, or how Fe can help Se.

As far as the OP, I think the capacity to be more self-aware is a gift. If you take the pains to follow through and learn things about yourself and the world, you'll eventually be broadened as a person and be happier and stronger than people who aren't as self-aware.
 

BlueScreen

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I think it is fundamentally important to understand the world and in order to do that, it is important to understand oneself and one's strengths/weaknesses to gaining an understanding to how the world works, that's where self-awareness' importance comes in for me.

+1

Yep, if you know nothing about the measuring equipment, you can't rely on the measurement. I also like to understand myself. I'm the only human mind I'll ever get this much access to or reliable information on. And out of the things to study, humans are one of the most interesting. Knowing yourself also helps with judgments, learning, everything.
 

purplesunset

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Sytpg:

Regarding the phrase, "Ignorance is bliss"

Some of us don't have a choice in the matter. I felt compelled to want to dig deeper; compelled to want to know more; compelled to want to understand myself.

"Ignorance is bliss" doesn't apply because I simply would not be blissful if I remained in ignorance. The compulsions would keep gnawing at me.
 

Poki

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That's an interesting idea that our tertiary function is the key to our happiness.

As for our inferior function tho, I've gotten the sense before that we're actually more aware of it than our tertiary functions, and it's easier to work on them independently of other functions. So I disagree with the idea that unlocking your tertiary function leads to your inferior function. But then again, maybe that's just me speaking as an ENFP. I've been trying to develop my Si more by being more aware and observant of my body and my surroundings. I've also noticed that Si and Fi can go together. When I'm reflecting, I can still do housework. Si helps my Fi, and Te helps ground my Ne.

Don't know if that could work for you tho, since I can't think of how you can work on Fe independently from other functions, or how Fe can help Se.

As far as the OP, I think the capacity to be more self-aware is a gift. If you take the pains to follow through and learn things about yourself and the world, you'll eventually be broadened as a person and be happier and stronger than people who aren't as self-aware.

It seems like Se is more of a validation of Fe. I did something the other day for a friend and half way through I noticed she looked at me and smiled. That was my validation, that is what my Se searches for. I can get Fe fixes but it requires input from others instead of something I go out and do on my own. It helps me be more confident, I lack confidence with my people skills so I really need people to get better at it. I need the interaction and the validation to help build it up my people skills.

To be happy when I am by myself I physically challenge myself. One example is I want to be able to do a barrel roll with my jet ski, its a 3 person so its more of a challenge than one of the smaller 1 or 2 person ones. I want to be able to do it on the fly and be able to go into it and pull out of it smoothly. The challenge to me is fun and it feels good when I go all out and I see people just stop to watch me.
 

MrRandom

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Like most INFJs, I suppose, I'm constantly trying to improve myself. I'm also constantly overanalyzing everything: people, myself, situations and even scenarios that don't exist yet (if ever). I consider myself rather enlightened about these things, and well, about life in general (at least comparing to average people, who are not here and not interested in personality theories).

Does that make me happier? Not at all. When I imagine my life without all this insight, I would feel so very stupid, but then again, I wouldn't know what I'd be missing anyway. But as long as I have it, I'm not letting go of it no matter what.

Actually, there more I understand people, the more misantrophic I've become. It's probably the most difficult aspect in this self-awareness. It's too easy to start disliking people when I see how clueless (yet happy) most of them are.

lisa-simpson-graph.jpg
 

sculpting

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+1

Yep, if you know nothing about the measuring equipment, you can't rely on the measurement. I also like to understand myself. I'm the only human mind I'll ever get this much access to or reliable information on. And out of the things to study, humans are one of the most interesting. Knowing yourself also helps with judgments, learning, everything.

that's awesome Noigmn! calibration is everything.

self awareness, self evaluation, in the past helped me understand myself and forgive myself for not always being what my peers were. Damned NTs.

However since I have been here it really has been masochistic fun to dig very deep into how much I perceive/misperceive, and watch patterns of behavior unfold. like puzzles or rivers.
 

Strawberrylover

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It seems like Se is more of a validation of Fe. I did something the other day for a friend and half way through I noticed she looked at me and smiled. That was my validation, that is what my Se searches for. I can get Fe fixes but it requires input from others instead of something I go out and do on my own. It helps me be more confident, I lack confidence with my people skills so I really need people to get better at it. I need the interaction and the validation to help build it up my people skills.

To be happy when I am by myself I physically challenge myself. One example is I want to be able to do a barrel roll with my jet ski, its a 3 person so its more of a challenge than one of the smaller 1 or 2 person ones. I want to be able to do it on the fly and be able to go into it and pull out of it smoothly. The challenge to me is fun and it feels good when I go all out and I see people just stop to watch me.

^ ISTPs are so interesting. See, I might talk this way about playing an instrument, but you guys are all about action in a bigger setting, and in such a way that risks bodily injury. Heh. Difference between Si and Se, right there.

I can see my Te being a validation of Ne, but I don't get the sense that it's been that way with Si-Fi. Si helps me reflect, but Fi seems to be more an end in itself to me. I don't need Si to validate it.

Anyway, this is off topic. Just thinkin out loud.
 

Poki

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^ ISTPs are so interesting. See, I might talk this way about playing an instrument, but you guys are all about action in a bigger setting, and in such a way that risks bodily injury. Heh. Difference between Si and Se, right there.

I can see my Te being a validation of Ne, but I don't get the sense that it's been that way with Si-Fi. Si helps me reflect, but Fi seems to be more an end in itself to me. I don't need Si to validate it.

Anyway, this is off topic. Just thinkin out loud.

I guess I was more focusing on
I look at the more simple-minded and superficial people going about their lives, and notice I don't seem to be necessarily more happy, just because I like to think about stuff like psychology, philosophy or any other so-called deeper topic.
and what I believe drives this urge to want to delve deeper into subjects like psychology. It seems like a tertiary Te in ENFp. One way Te protects Fi is to logically convince others of something in a way to protect your feelings or possibly what you need or want. You NEED to be smart because it will help you in being better able to protect your feelings or what drives your feelings with the use of logic. This need may be alot stronger if Fi feels like it is being supressed by logic. You may feel vulnerable if you feel like someone is using logic to supress it.

Urges to me is caused by a need that is not being met. It is our body mentally pushing us to meet this need. I think the action used because of an urge is what we know how to do to satisfy that need. Just a thought but I think sometimes we tend to logically rationalize this action to make it "ok".
 
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